Reducing collectors for textile fibre drafting mechanisms



J. NOGUERA Aug. 14-, 1956 REDUCING COLLECTORS FOR TEXTILE FIBRE DRAFTING MECHANISMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26. 1954 g- 14. 1956 J. NOGUERA 2,758,343

REDUCING COLLECTORS FOR TEXTILE FIBRE DRAFTING MECHANISMS Filed April 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 8 6 8 5 3 f 1/618 9 "7 9 a 2 2- 152 k 24 United States Patent REDUCING COLLECTORS FOR TEXTILE FIBRE DRAFTING MECHANISMS Joseph Noguera, Manchester, England, assignor to Casablancas High Draft Company Limited, Salford, England, a British company Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,574

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 12, 1953 6 Claims. (Cl. 19- 157) This invention relates to reducing collectors for textile fibre drafting mechanisms, the collectors being of the kind having a wedge-like body arranged to traverse along the periphery of one roller of a pair of drafting rollers with the outlet of a reducing channel through the body immediately preceding and very close to the roller nip.

A main object of the invention is to facilitate the threading or re-threading of such collectors and generally to increase their operational efficiency.

Accordingly the invention provides a reducing collector of the kind specified in combination with stop means for limiting the collector traverse, the collector body being channelled through one edge between guide surfaces which incline toward the channel base, and being of such transverse breadth that, even when one end is located against a limiting stop, an unthreadedstrand passing the opposite end will be so far deflected thereby that the normal strand traverse will exert sufficient pressure to cause the strand to ride over said opposite end on to the channelled collector edge from whence the strand will be guided into the reducing channel. The strand-reducing channel is preferably in the form of a shallow slot which opens through the thicker edge of the collector body from a broad shallow inlet in a convex outer face of the body and the collector body is of such depth from the wider to the narrower edge that the latter rests against the roller periphery along a line far enough removed from the normal path of the strand to be out of reach of the tips of any fibres straying from the strand. With this arrangement, a strand end abutting the outer collector face tends to be deflected thereby over the wider edge of the collector body from whence it is guided into the reducing pairs in a conventional manner, the collectors of a pair being associated respectively with co-axial pairs of drawchannel. As a further aid to the self-threading action, the

outer ends of the guide surfaces on each side of the reducing channel merge into the adjoining end edges of the collector around sharply rounded corners which enable the strand readily to ride thereover onto a guide surface.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, two embodiments thereof will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a pair of collectors constructed in accordance with the invention and mounted on an intermediate carrying fork which constitutes part of the collector stop means,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the collector assembly shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the collector assembly In the drawings, the collectors are shown mounted in ing rollers in adjoining drafting units of a drafting system. Each collector 1 is conveniently made of plastic or other suitable material and is formed with a relatively thin wedge-like body. This body has one slightly curved or concave face 2 which is arranged to seat, in this example, on the peripheral surface of the bottom roller of a drafting roller pair, the thicker edge 3 of the wedge body being located very close to the nip between the aforesaid rollers, and substantially parallel to this nip. The concave seating face 2 of the body is preferably recessed at 2a in known manner, the recess extending from the narrowed condenser edge 4 and serving to reduce the possibility of straying fibres becoming nipped between the aforesaid edge and the underlying roller periphery.

The collector body 1 is of the maximum possible transverse breadth i. e. in the axial direction of the drafting rollers, commensurate with available space, so that it extends much further along the roller nip than would normally be required merely to place the collector ends out of the normal reach of straying strand fibres. The breadth of the collector is a material factor in the self-threading function of the collector as will be later explained in more detail. The outer face 5 of the collector body which lies opposite the concave bearing face 2, is given a slightly curved or convex configuration and, in the operative position of the collector, presents, to a fibre strand travelling towards the drafting rollers, a deflecting surface which is inclined upwardly and towards the roller nip.

A shallow strand reducing channel 6 is formed through the collector body 1, the channel being slotted through the thicker collector edge 3 from a broad shallow inlet 7 in the outer convex body face. On each side of the channel 6, the thicker body edge 3 is formed with guide surfaces 8 which incline towards the base of the channel 6, that is to say, in a downward direction and inwardly of the collector when the latter is mounted on a bottom drafting roller. At their outer ends the guide surfaces 8 merge into the respective end edges of the collector around sharply rounded corners 9. The width of the collector body from the thicker to the thinner edges is such that the base of the channel inlet 7 is well displaced from the thinner body edge 4, this being a further important factor in preventing straying fibres passing under the aforesaid body edge since the latter will normally be out of reach of such fibres.

As aforesaid, collectors in accordance with the invention are normally mounted in pairs and may conveniently be joined in known manner by a transverse coupling member 10. To retain a pair of collectors in their operative seating positions on co-axial rollers of adjoining drafting units, any of the well known mountings may be employed. In Figures 1 to 3 there is shown one appropriate mounting in the form of a central fork 11 having a front projecting tongue 12 arranged to rest on the neck between the co-axial drawing rollers upon which the collectors are seated and rearwardly extending hook parts 13, which are shaped to engage over projecting handles on tensor members which support, in known manner, the forward ends of endless belt loops which precede the drafting rollers in the drafting system. The connecting member 10 is slidably supported in apertures formed through depending side cheeks 14 on the central fork. Lateral movement of the fork, i. e. in the axial direction of the drawing rollers, is limited by the engagement of the hook parts 13 of the fork over the tensor handles as aforesaid and sliding or transverse movement of the collectors in relation to the supporting fork is limited by two spaced stops 15 on the connecting memher which are arranged to abut against the respective side cheeks 14 of the fork after the collectors have traversed a short distance in one direction or the other.

in the embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 7 the collectors are identical with those already described but are associated with a modified supporting fork which is which are arranged to abut a part of the drafting mechanism to limit forward movement of the fork. To prevent lateral movement of the modified fork, the bifurcated arms 17 are located one on each side of the usual weight hook. Again the stops on the connecting member 14 limit transverse movement of the collectors by abutting the side cheeks 18 of the fork.

In use, when a fibre strand is fed initially towards the drafting rollers, instead of tending to accumulate around the collector inlet 7 if the leading strand end is bent or blunted as aforesaid, the form and location of the channel 6 and of the outer collector body face 5 will tend to throw the strand automatically upwards and over the thicker body edge 3 Where it will be caught by the roller nip and thereby automatically pulled or threaded into the channel 6. The shallow formation of the channel and the inclination of the guide surfaces 8 on each side thereof will ensure that correct threading will take place at no matter what point, over the breadth of the collector, the strand is nipped by the drafting rollers, since the strand will always tend to ride down the appropriate guide surface from an off-set position.

The breadth of the collector makes it extremely unlikely that fibre strands can pass on either side thereof and if they do so pass, the normal positively driven back traverse for the strand will quickly cause such fibres to ride up over the adjacent rounded collector corner 9 and return to the reducing channel. This self-threading effect will be obtained because an unthreaded strand passing on either side of the collector will impinge on a collector end with sufiicient force, even after pushing the collector to one side up to the limit of its permitted traverse, to ensure that the strand will ride up over the collector end and onto the adjoining guide surface.

It will be appreciated that the collector as described may, in some cases, be arranged to seat on the top roller of the roller pair, the slot being downwardly directed.

I claim:

1. For a textile fibre drafting mechanism in which a positive traverse is imparted to a fibre strand during its 3. A collector assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which each collector has a slightly convex outer face formed with a broad shallow channel inlet, said convex face providing a deflecting surface which tends to direct the strand into said inlet.

4. For a textile fibre drafting mechanism having adjoining rollcr drafting systems, a self-threading collector assembly comprising a pair of coupled collectors each having a broad wedge-like body of small section with an open reducing slot extending tberethrough between guide surfaces inclined towards the base of the slot, support means for slidably locating said collectors one in each of two adjoining drafting systems and stop rneausadapted to limit permitted traverse of said collectors in their respective systems, the ends of each collector being so shaped as to permit an unthreaded strand engaging therewith to ride upwardly thereover and upon the adjacent guide surface whereby the pressure exerted on a collector end by an unthreaded strand is sufficient, even in limiting traverse positions of the collector, to cause the strand to'ride over said end and thread itself into the collector slot.

5. For use with a textile fibre drafting mechanism, a self-threading collector comprising an elongated body adapted to be mounted on the frame of the mechanism for limited movement transversely of the direction of travel of the strands of the fibre through the mechanism for guiding the fibre strands with the longitudinal axis of the body extending in the direction of its transverse movement and having an open fibre strand-receiving reducing slot extending therethrough in a direction at substantially right angles-to the longitudinal axis of said body,

said body also having a guide surface on each side of the passage through the mechanism, a collector assembly comprising a pair of collectors each having a broad wedge-like body of small section with an open reducing channel slotted through the thicker body edge between guide surfaces inclined towards the channel base, a transverse coupling member rigidly joining said collectors, support means for slidably supporting said coupling member between said collectors and stop means on said coupling member cooperating with said support means to limit permitted transverse sliding movement of each collector, in either direction from a centre, the ends of each collector being so shaped as to permit an unthreaded strand engaging therewith to ride upwardly thereover and upon the adjacent guide surface so that an unthreaded strand passing either end of its collector will be so far deflected by the broad collector body that normal strand traverse will cause the strand to ride over said collector end and on to a guide surface from whence the strand will draw itself into the collector channel.

2. A collector assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the outer end of each said guide surface is merged into the adjoining collector end edge around a sharply rounded corner.

opening into the slot inclined towards the opening, the ends of said collector being so shaped as to permit an unthreaded strand engaging therewith to ride upwardly thereover and upon the adjacent guide surface so that the pressure exerted on the collector end by an unthreaded strand is suflicient to cause the strand to ride over said end, down the adjacent guide surface and thread itself through the slot opening into the slot.

6. For usewith a textile fibre drafting mechanism, a self-threading collector comprising an elongated body adapted to be mounted on the frame of the mechanism for limited movement transversely of the direction of travel of the strands of the fibre through the mechanism for guiding the fibre strands with the longitudinal axis of the body extending in the direction of its transverse movement and having an open fibre strand-receiving reducing slot extending therethrough, said body also having a guide surface on each side of the opening into the slot inclined towards the opening, each end of the collector having a substantially fiat end wall provided with a sharply rounded edge merging directly into the adjacent guide surface, whereby the pressure exerted on the collector end by an unthreaded strand is suflicient to cause the strand to ride I over the rounded edge thereof, down the adjacent guide surface and thread itself through the slot opening into the slot. 

4. FOR A TEXTILE FIBRE DRAFTING MECHANISM HAVING ADJOINING ROLLER DRAFTING SYSTEMS, A SELF-THREADING COLLECTOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF COUPLED COLLECTORS EACH HAVING A BOARD WEDGE-LIKE BODY OF SMALL SECTION WITH AN OPEN REDUCING SLOT EXTENDING THERETHROUGH BETWEEN GUIDE SURFACES INCLINED TOWARDS THE BASE OF THE SLOT, SUPPORT, MEANS FOR SLIDABLY LOCATING SAID COLLECTORS ONE IN EACH OF TWO ADJOINING DRAFTING SYSTEMS AND STOP MEANS ADAPTED TO LIMIT PERMITTED TRAVERSE OF SAID COLLECTORS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SYSTEMS, THE ENDS OF EACH COLLECTOR BEING SO SHAPED AS TO PERMIT AN UNTHREADED STRAND ENGAGING THEREWITH TO RIDE UPWARDLY THEREOVER AND UPON THE ADJACENT GUIDE SURFACE WHEREBY THE PRESSURE EXERTED ON A COLLECTOR END BY AN UNTHREADED STRAND IS SUFFICIENT, EVEN IN LIMITING TRAVERS POSITIONS OF THE COLLECTOR, TO CAUSE THE STRAND TO RIDE OVER SAID END AND THREAD ITSELF INTO THE COLLECTOR SLOT. 